Shipping bag



. Dec. 14, 1954 c. 0. SMITH SHIPPING BAG Filed Oct. 17, 1952 44 42 44 /0 30 4 Z8 22 J /J INVENTOR twe/wro yse 0. SMITH;

Wi wam/5W ATTORNEYS United States Patent SHIPPING BAG Christopher Columbus Smith, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application October 17, 1952, Serial No. 315,234

2 Claims. (Cl. 1505) This invention relates to construction for a bag or sack, and more particularly, has reference to a sack adapted to be locked at its upper end or mouth, thus to permit articles to be shipped therein.

it is one important object of the present invention to provide a sack or bag formed with a collapsible locking frame at its mouth end, said frame being of braced construction and being readily opened or closed as desired.

Another important object is to provide a sack wherein the collapsible locking frame will be equipped with a handle so mounted upon the frame as to be capable of locking the same in the closed position of the frame.

Still another object of importance is to provide a sack as stated wherein the locking frame, when folded to its closed position, will be reduced to a narrow width, so as to occupy a minimum of space.

Still another object of importance is to provide a sack as described wherein the locking frame, when opened, will define a large space through which articles of sub- ;tantial size can be inserted in the sack or removed thererom.

A further object of importance is to provide, in a locking frame for a shipping bag, a reinforced construction which will be rugged and durable, and which will be equipped with means preventing relative movement of the parts of the frame when the frame is locked, thus to prevent strain on the connections employed between the component parts of the frame.

Still another object of importance is to provide a shipping bag or container of the character referred to wherein the container or bag portion will be of flexible formation, so as to accommodate objects of various shapes, but which will at the same time be strongly reinforced to prevent breakage during use of the invention.

Another object of importance is to provide a shipping container which, though possessing the several desirable features noted above, will yet be capable of manufacture at relatively low cost.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of a shipping bag formed in accordance with the present invention, the locking frame being shown in its closed position;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 2, the locking frame being shown in its closed position;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged, transverse sectional view on line 55 of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure l in which the locking frame is shown in its open position.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral 10 has been applied generally to a container portion. At each side of the shippin bag, the container portion is formed with a pair of rectangular panels 12 formed preferably of a strong fabric material, such as burlap or the like. The panels 12, as will be noted from Figure 2, are disposed in side by side, spaced relation, and are substantially coterminous, said panels extending from end to end of the container portion 10.

The spaced inner edges of the panels 12 are suitably reinforced, as by fabric reinforcing strips 14 extending the length of the respective panels. Secured to and interposed between the strips 14 is an elongated center strip 16 of wire mesh, said strip 16 being coterminous with the panels 12.

Each side of the container portion 10 of the shipping bag is further reinforced, through the provision of a peripheral fabric strip 18, and secured to and interposed between the side and bottom portions of the respective strips 18 is a tubular reinforcing member 20, which is also formed of wire mesh.

These parts complete the formation of the container portion 10 of the shipping bag, and as will be noted, said container portion is strongly reinforced, While still remaining sufficiently flexible for the purpose of accommodating articles of widely varying sizes, weights, and shapes.

The invention further includes a collapsible locking frame 22, said frame extending about the mouth or upper end of the container portion 10.

The locking frame 22 includes a pair of parallel, elongated bars 24 (Figure 3), these being preferably formed of Wood. Each bar 24 has, adjacent each end thereof, a longitudinal series of teeth 26, the teeth 26 of one bar meshing with the teeth of the other bar when the locking frame is in its closed position. It is to be noted that the teeth 26 on the respective bars 24 constitute coacting means arranged to interengage with one another in the longitudinally contacting relationship of the bars to hold the bars against relative longitudinal movement.

For the purpose of reinforcing the bars 24, I secure fixedly to the upper surfaces of said bars elongated, metal, reinforcing strips 28, the strips 28 extending the full length of the bars and being fixedly secured to the bars, at locations spaced longitudinally thereof, by bolts 30 or equivalent fastening elements.

Medially between their opposite ends, the metal brace or reinforcing strips 28 are integrally formed with downturned flanges 32 (Figures 4 and 5), said flanges being adapted to provide means facilitating opening of the locking frame.

At the opposite ends of the bars 24, there are pivotally connected to said bars pairs of links 34, said links being attached to the bars by pivot pins 36. As will be noted from Figure 4, a pair of links is attached to each end of each bar 24, the links of the pair being arranged in superposed relation, in a manner whereby one of the links overlies its associated bar 24, and the other link underlies said bar.

At their other ends, the links associated with the respective bars are pivotally connected to the opposite ends of a center link 38, by pins 40.

By reason of the construction so far illustrated and described, it may be noted that in the closed position of the locking frame, the bars 24 will be disposed in longitudinally contacting relation, with the teeth 26 of each bar meshing with the corresponding teeth of the other bar. As a result, relative longitudinal movement between the bars is effectively precluded.

It will further be noted that in the locking position, the several links 34 are aligned longitudinally with the respective bars 24, projecting in opposite directions beyond the ends of the bars. In this position of the links 34, the center links 38 are extended normally to the links 34 and to the bars 24 (Figure 3). I

When, however, it is desired to open the frame 22, the bars 24 are shifted away from one another, to the positions illustrated in Figure 6. In this position of the parts, the bars 24 are disposed in spaced parallel relation, with the links 34 shifting to positions in which they are normal to the respective bars and are aligned longitudinally with their associated center links 38. As a result, a rectangular opening is defined at the mouth of the container portion 10, through which articles may be inserted in or removed from said container portion.

Means is provided for locking the frame in its closed position, said means also being adapted to serve as a carrying handle. To this end, a bail 42 is provided, said bail being of inverted U-shaped formation and having feet 44 formed upon the lower ends of its respective legs, said feet extending transversely of and overlying the bars 24.

The feet 44 are hingedly connected at 46 to one of the bars 24, the other bar having spaced slots 48 adapted to receive locking lugs 50 depending from the respective feet 44.

p A spring-loaded latch member 52 is slidably mounted in that bar 24 providedwith the slots 48, and is formed, at locations spaced longitudinally thereof, with detents 54. The locking lugs 50, in this connection have apertures adapted to receive the detents 54 when said locking lugs are extended into the slots 48. p I From the above, it will be seen that when the bail 42 is swung to the position thereof illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the lugs 50 will'extendinto the slots 48, and Will force the latch member 52 to the right in Figure 6. When the lugs 50 have been extended fully into their associated slots 48, the spring associated with the latch member 52 willagain urge said latch member to the left in Figure 6, for the purpose of locking the bail 42 in its Figure 1 position. As a result, the locking frame will be securely retained in its closed position, thus to permit use of the bag as a shipping container without danger of accidental opening of the bag during its transportation from one geographical location to another.

I believe that within the scope of the claims appended hereto,, any of various locking means can be employed to retainthe bail 42 in its frame-locking position, the locking means illustrated being shown merely as a presently preferred example. It is believedapparent that the invention is not necessarily confined, to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is. only intended to be illustrative of the principles of opera- ;,tion and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention com- ;prehends any minor changes in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: y

1. A shipping bag comprising: a container portion formed as a receptacle for articles to be transported and having a mouth at oneend, said container portion including oppositely disposed, rectangular side walls each of which is formed of a pair of spaced, fabric panels, a,wire mesh, reinforcing stripconnected to said panels and positioned therebetween, said strip extending from top,to bottom of the container portion, a peripheral rein- ;forcement exten ding about each of said side walls, and

a tubular wire mesh reinforcing member secured to and disposed between the side and bottom edges of said reinforcement; a locking frame extending about said mouth, said frame including a pair of parallel bars secured to thetop edges of said side walls, a plurality of links extending'between and pivotally connecting the respective ends of the bars, .said links being swingable to extreme positions in one of which the bars contact one another longitudinally to close the mouth of said container portion and in the other of which the bars are spaced apart to open said mouth, and teeth on the respective bars arranged to mesh with one another in the longitudinally contacting relationship of the bars to hold the bars against relative longitudinal movement; and means carried by the frame adapted for releasablyretaining said bars in the longitudinally contacting relationship thereof, said means including a carrying bail hingedly connected to one of said bars and a latch mechanism carried by the other bar and disposed for engagement with the bail in the longitudinally contacting positions of the bars.

2. A shipping bag comprising a container portion formed as a receptacle for articles to be transported and having a mouth at one end, said container portion including oppositely disposed rectangular side walls each of which is formed of a pair of spaced fabric panels, a wire mesh reinforcing strip connected to said panels and positioned therebetween, said strip extending from top to bottom of the container portion, a peripheral reinforcement extending about each of said side walls, a tubular wire mesh reinforcing member secured to and disposed between the side and bottom edges of said reinforcement; a locking frame extending about said mouth, said frame including a pair of parallel bars secured to the top edges of said side walls, a plurality of links extending between and pivotally connecting the respective ends of'the bars, said links being swingable to extreme positions in one of which the bars contact one another longitudinally to close the mouth of said container portion and in the other of which the bars are spaced apart to open said mouth, and coacting means on the respective bars arranged to interengage with one another in the longitudinally contacting relationship of the bars to hold the bars against relative longitudinal movement; and means carried by the frame adapted for releasably retaining said bars in the longitudinally contacting relationship thereof.

References Cited the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

